1. Field of the Invention
For loading cargo into aircraft which have a cargo bay served by a rear loading aperture with a loading ramp hinged at its lower edge, it has been proposed to move cargo in and out of the bay on surface vehicles such as trolleys. In the context of small cargo aircraft the proposal has the severe disadvantages that a trolley can take up much of the available cross-section of the bay, so unduly limiting the size of cargo item which can be carried, and the weight of the trolley limits unduly the weight of cargo items which can be carried.
2. Related Art
In a previous proposal for transport of aero engines as cargo, the cargo bay was to be equipped with a pair of fixed rails high enough off the floor of the cargo bay to accommodate a range of engines carried in their normal supporting yoke structures. Severe problems with this proposal were the weight of the raised rail structure and the obvious restriction it imposed on the carriage of personnel or other cargo such as pallets.